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Description
This map is based off 'The Gate of Time' by Philip José Farmer in which a World War Two American flier is sucked through a portal into an alternate dimension. I attempted to copy down all mentions of the wider world and believe I got most of them, but could have missed some references. Farmer expanded the book later as 'Two Hawks from Earth', which I am told has more information on the state of the world. If I ever find a copy of 'Two Hawks' I will make a map of that universe and see how it differs from 'Gate of Time' Because the story is set in Romania, Farmer gave little information on the rest of the world so much of the map and writing for outside Europe is conjecture or based off vague statements from the book.

The Gate of Time

It is the year 1943. In another universe, people are celebrating the coming of the one thousand nine hundred and third year after the birth of Jesus Christ, yet denizens of this world reckon it as the Buddhist year 2487, the Berber year 2893, or the Hemilkic year 920. This is a world on the brink. In a few months time, the armies of Perkunisha will roll out of Central Europe into the Souian and Iroquoian domains of Dakota and Hotonisonih, where their quest for world conquest will begin.

- The most notable feature of this world is the lack of any major landforms in the Western Hemisphere. For unknown reasons, no North or South American continents developed and in their place, only lands roughly above 6,000 feet IOTL emerged above the waves in two major archipelagos roughly corresponding to the Rockys and Andean mountain chains. Elsewhere in the world, areas of the continental shelf became dry land, though the outlines of the continents resemble those of our Earth. The lack of any large body to stop the Gulf Stream has prevented that current from deflecting into the North Atlantic, something that has led to different climatic and weather patterns from those we are familiar with. Europe and Northern Eurasia are colder than OTL, while the Sahara and Australia are wetter and more fertile. In addition, this planet is in the terminal stages of an Ice Age and the glaciers and pack ice that cover much of the Arctic and Antarctic circles are in the midst of a long, slow retreat.

- Because there was no American continent, the peoples that would become the ancestors of OTL's Native Americans went only as far as what is IOTL Alaska and stopped, being unable to cross to islands further south. The vast majority of these people went west instead of crossing the Bering Land Bridge. They adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle and eventually came to dominate much of northern Eurasia. This caused a ripple effect as various portions of the Indo-Europeans were pushed further west, the Turks went south, and the Finns fled into the OTL Japanese archipelago. The job of settling the American islands went to the Polynesians, who entered the two island chains in two pushes. The northern islands, corresponding to Canada, the United States, and Mexico were settled by sailors from Hawaii, which developed much like OTL. The South American islands were discovered by seafarers from Easter Island, who gradually colonized these lands further east and established technologically advanced civilizations.

- The world of 1943 AD is surprisingly similar in some ways, yet alien in others. Some regions, like Subsaharan Africa (excepting the Arab nation of Ikhwan) are relatively similar. There are plenty of other examples: Norway, Indochina, Indonesia (except for the Phoenician-descended imperial rulers, that is), Hawaii, and New Zealand. Other areas are completely alien: the Hellenic states of a green North Africa, the Etruscans of Rasna in France, and the Japanese speakers that inhabit Southern China. The general push of history is also similar to OTL. The Old World was technologically more advanced and discovered the New World in the last millennium. European states colonized throughout Africa, Asia, and Oceania. And there was a large, world-wide war just several decades past. But, as expected, there are some differences. Lack of interest in the New World for several centuries allowed those less advanced states to build up their infrastructure and raise their level of technology before they felt the full brunt of Europe. This is also a less Eurocentric world: there are powerful nations the world over, among them Ikhwan in Southern Africa and the Saariset of East Asia.

- Europe is tense right now. Perkunisha, a Lithuanian-speaking nation named for the sky god of the ancient Balts, is on the upswing. As the instigators of the World War several decades prior, they lost colonies and prestige when the war ground to a sudden halt as a pandemic ravaged the Earth. To add to the sense of humiliation, a massive slave revolt struck Perkunisha. Workers and the army joined in the revolt and it was only quashed with heavy loss of life. Now, an ultranationalist party with a superman ideology has taken power in Perkunisha and intends to conquer the world and enslave all foreigners. A sampler of what may be to come for the rest of the world, the Perkunishans have for years held the territory of Kinukkinuk in the OTL region of Czechoslovakia. Kinukkinuk is inhabited by the descendants of Algonquin speakers from Central Asia and has been ruled under an iron fist that includes enslavement, widespread atrocities, and conscription into slave armies. The other great power of Europe is Blodland. The descendants of half a dozen waves of Germanics, Celts, Balts, Etruscans, Semites, and Scandinavians turned the formerly sleepy British Isles into the center of the world's foremost empire. Speaking a language that is a creole of the invading groups, Blodland was named for the blood that was spilled in its many conquests. It is a federation of six different kingdoms: Iceland, Ireland, Norland (Scotland), Blodland, Grettirsland (Normandy), and south Scandinavia, all of which speaking Ingwinetalu. Though by no means a democracy, the parliament of Blodland, the Witenayemot in Bammu, has some check on the authority of the ruling Blothaxe Dynasty. Blodland is a sworn enemy of Perkunisha, partly because of the Blodlandish capture of Perkunishan colonial territories in the World War.

- To the south are the decaying states of Rasna, New Crete, and Aikhaivia. Rasna, an Etruscan-speaking state where France is IOTL has never been able to build itself up with nearly-constant invasions from enemies on all sides. Though it has a large population, it has been forced to focus inwards and has not realized its full potential. Akhaivia, a Greek-speaking state located in the Appenine Peninsula, was once the center of a large cultural sphere. Under Kassandras the Great, the Akhaivians conquered much of the Mediterranean Basin, but after the collapse of Kassandran Empire, Akhaivian influence has declined into cultural influence. Still, Hellenic nations exist deep into Africa and on islands around the Mediterranean. Akhaivia itself remains the premier Hellenic state, yet probably does not deserve that honor, as it is extremely corrupt and poorly-managed. To Akhaivia's east is Doria, another Hellenic state, but one that is much more robust. A secret pact between the Dorians and Perkunishans includes plans to divide Akhaivia between the two. The other once-powerful state of Southern Europe is New Crete. Crete was the urheimat of the Semitic people ITTL, and several large waves sailed to the west. The Iberian Peninsula was settled by such people who named the region New Crete. Like the Akhaivians one, the New Cretan heyday sits far in the past. While states from East Asia to the African interior speak tongues based off that of New Crete. New Crete itself currently holds islands in Indonesia in its empire and has influence among the Germanic tribal state in Britanny, but lost the Yammik Islands (OTL Philippines) to rebellion and territories in the British Isles to Blodlandish conquest centuries ago.

- The most dynamic states of Europe are further east. The Iroqouian-speaking state of Hotonisonih was established when seven tribes from Central Asia invaded the Indo-European states of Eastern Europe and established a semi-democratic confederacy and established a capital on the site of a former Trojan colony and named it 'Estokwa (at the site of OTL Odessa) Hotonisonih has expanded to include sixteen more tribes, each of which contributes financially to the common defense. Hotonisonih society is perhaps the most socially progressive in the world: there is religious tolerance (though the state church receives preferential treatment), while women enjoy rights fairly similar to those of men, and there is an elected executive. While it has almost no overseas presence, Hotonisonih is a strong continental power and frequently at odds with its arch-enemy, Perkunisha. North of Hotonisonih is Itskapintik, which is almost its exact opposite. Where Hotonisonih is progressive and adheres to an ideology of freedom (at least in theory), Itskapintik is reactionary and stuck in the old ways. It was founded by tribesmen speaking something like Nahuatl that came out of Asia around the same time as the Iroquois when the ancestors of the Mahapjigan Horde were on the rise. The Itskapintik had a bloody start, massacring a native people before marrying into the survivors and carving out a theocracy that practiced human sacrifice until just half a century ago. Even if sacrifice is outlawed, slaves in Itskapintik are still treated as subhuman and it is not infrequent to find a slave on a back road with their heart ripped out. North of the Itskapintik are their cousins, the Amanallicayotl, and on the border with the glaciers of the north is the semi-Mixtec speaking Vetiloyan. On the Pannonian Plain is the Siouian state of Dakota that constantly is in fear of Perkunishan invasion.

- North Africa is a jumble of Hellenic, Iberian, and Berber influences. The four major states of the region are, from west to east, Gorivattith, Empire of Lehabia, Great Marmarona , and Gyptos. All four derive significant profits both from the sea and the fertile farmlands of the Saharan Plain. Though currently at peace, the North African nations have a long history of antagonism towards one another and would not hesitate to go to war. Their southern neighbors include the Berber Confederacy, a strip of large, populous, agricultural states as well as the the Nilotic-speaking Empire of Byu.

- The region of Africa surrounding the equator is largely controlled by the colonial states of Europe. Blodland, Perkunisha, and New Crete all have colonies there that are often little more than glorified (or not glorified, depending which empire you are in) slave labor camps. Among the peoples to find themselves under the yoke of European imperialism are the Bantu, Aksumites, and Arab-influenced peoples of the eastern coast. Several large, semi-industrialized empires have managed to keep themselves free, these being the Chadic Kwara on the Niger River, the Yoruba-like Loknil of OTL South Sudan, and the mighty Arab state of Ikhwan in the far south of the continent. The ancestors of Ikhwan were Arab sailors from states on the southern edge of the peninsula who felt the Indo-European states that dominated the Middle East were too autocratic. They sailed further south than the colonies already established by their states and set up a nation of their own. Within several hundred years, the Arabic tongue had caught on among Africans as well as the descendants of the colonists and so was born Ikhwan. A seafaring nation that once had colonies in Dravidia, Ikhwan lost colonies to both Blodland and Perkunisha in the recent past and is intent on reconquering those colonies if the European states appear distracted.

- Much of the northern Eurasian steppe is still dominated by anthropohagi (the people that would have been Native Americans IOTL). While anthropohagi states in eastern Europe and Central Asia are sedentary, industrialized states, the inhabitants of much of Central Asia live a nomadic lifestyle and the people there are grouped into several major hordes. Among the notable hordes are the Nahuatl-speaking Estlani (whose name derives from the same root as Aztlán IOTL) as well as the Algonquin Edhux and Mahapjigan. In an interesting divergence from OTL, the North China Plain is arid in this world and is inhabited by a Mongolian-like people speaking an Athabaskan tongue similar to Navajo and Apache. The OTL Finns ended up in Japan of all places, where they established a state called Saariset (that roughly means "island land") Finding the archipelago by the Finns, the proto-Japanese were diverted and ended up settling in Southern China, where they formed the state of Nitochi. Though it possesses very few territories outside of the Saari Archipelago, Saariset is highly industrialized and has a strong navy and is able to challenge Europe in the Pacific, where they have ambitions of empire. The Japanese of Nitochi are strong, but have been forced to focus defensively because of the presence of the semi-barbaric Huuodanih Host to their north. However, in recent years, with the power of the Emperor in Huuodanih (built on the ruins of the ancient Sino-Tibetian city of Luoyang) declining, both Saariset and Nitochi have moved into the Host and vie for influence in outlying provinces. The other significant power of the far east is Yisiniwak, a Confederacy of Cree-speaking statelets that has actually managed to colonize part of OTL Alaska.

- South Asia is similar to OTL compared to other regions, or at least it was prior to European colonization. The Turks were pushed further south by the anthropohagi and parts of northern India spoke Turkic languages while the south and west had Arab (especially Ikhwani) influences for centuries. Though Blodland has territory along the coast, the Turkic-speaking Hindrazi, Buddhist state of Narangistan, and Marat League control the interior. The Marat League is currently in the midst of a bloody war between traditionalist Hindu polytheists, followers of a reformed form of the religion, and radical Jain-esque nihilists. The states of Indochina are quite similar to OTL, though were better at keeping themselves from the clutches of European empires. OTL Indonesia has significant cultural influence from India and sea-going Arabs and at one point was called East India, though it has recently been conquered by and become a colony of New Crete.

- The term Polynesia can be applied in this world to most of the Pacific, as the Polynesian peoples spread from the South Pacific into the island chains of the New World. Though the various islands of the South Pacific were unable to industrialize and eventually came under Blodlandish dominance, Hawaii and the New World states modernized after contact with Ikhwani explorers and were roughly on par with Europe by the time the Europeans arrived. Though they all speak Polynesian tongues, the inhabitants of what would be North America are vastly dissimilar from those of South America. The north was peopled by sailors from Hawaii, which united as a kingdom just several hundred years ago. Those states are strongly martial and still heavily practice sea-faring. The strongest of these countries is Hivika, which is based on an island that roughly covers the eastern half of Colorado. Their capital, Kualono, is built on a harbor on the eastern side of the island. The Hivikan fleet is strong and has a presence throughout the Atlantic. Their neighbor to the south, A'etmokpuni, is a long-time rival, but has recently fallen into a period of decline and is being eclipsed by the more industrialized Hivikans. Unlike the islands of North America, the island chain that is made of the highlands of the Andean range was settled by migrants from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Though Rapa Nui was conquered by Blodland and its inhabitants carried back as slaves for Hrothgar Blothaxe II, the South American islands have remained fiercely independent. The most powerful of these states is Kaiga Moai Nui, which is named for the faces (moai) carved into the mountains that cover most of the island.

- This is a much darker and more violent world than OTL. Slavery is still practiced throughout much of the world and Hotonisonih is considered progressive in that it always slaves to become freemen. In other countries, slaves are treated as subhumans. Itskapintik was the last country to outlaw human sacrifice, and this occurred just fifty years ago. Nothing like the Geneva Convention was ever signed: there is no standardized treatment of prisoners and fighting is often to the death. Chemical and biological weapons are still very much in fashion, and all nations have been eagerly pursuing more potent forms of such weapons since the end of the last war. Other states like Kaig'Honu, Veki Henua, and Kaigaku-kiko also exist nearby and all practice moai-building on a scale unimaginable to their ancestors on Rapa Nui. Though the Arabs hold imperialistic dreams over much of the world, their influence is strong on the South American islands and the governments there are quick to combat any Ikhwani schemes.

- This Earth is less religiously homogeneous than OTL. Notably, the Hebrews never seemed to come into existence ITTL, so monotheism did not see much of a following until 1023 AD, when Hemilk, a Gael in New Cretan Ireland began to preach a reformed version of the Semitic religion. Hemilk was hanged from a tree with a rope with nine knots and after his death, the religion flourished. Hemilkism spread outside the New Cretan sphere and was adopted by most of the states Western Europe. An archaic form of Phoenician is used as the liturgical language of Hemilkism and holy texts are kept in that tongue in the state churches throughout Europe. Hemilkism also has a significant following in much of Northern Africa. Elsewhere in the world, old forms of polytheism are practiced. In many places, the old faiths have been transformed into codified, written religions, but this is clearly a polytheistic world. Crossing a national border is fairly synonymous ITTL with crossing a religious border.

- Without a New World, horses, camels, tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, turkeys, rubber, and chocolate do not exist. In this universe, cavalry never were used and though transportation by cart exists, these carts are pulled by bovines including the still extant aurochs.

Description
This map is based off 'The Gate of Time' by Philip José Farmer in which a World War Two American flier is sucked through a portal into an alternate dimension. I attempted to copy down all mentions of the wider world and believe I got most of them, but could have missed some references. Farmer expanded the book later as 'Two Hawks from Earth', which I am told has more information on the state of the world. If I ever find a copy of 'Two Hawks' I will make a map of that universe and see how it differs from 'Gate of Time' Because the story is set in Romania, Farmer gave little information on the rest of the world so much of the map and writing for outside Europe is conjecture or based off vague statements from the book.

The Gate of Time

It is the year 1943. In another universe, people are celebrating the coming of the one thousand nine hundred and third year after the birth of Jesus Christ, yet denizens of this world reckon it as the Buddhist year 2487, the Berber year 2893, or the Hemilkic year 920. This is a world on the brink. In a few months time, the armies of Perkunisha will roll out of Central Europe into the Souian and Iroquoian domains of Dakota and Hotonisonih, where their quest for world conquest will begin.

- The most notable feature of this world is the lack of any major landforms in the Western Hemisphere. For unknown reasons, no North or South American continents developed and in their place, only lands roughly above 6,000 feet IOTL emerged above the waves in two major archipelagos roughly corresponding to the Rockys and Andean mountain chains. Elsewhere in the world, areas of the continental shelf became dry land, though the outlines of the continents resemble those of our Earth. The lack of any large body to stop the Gulf Stream has prevented that current from deflecting into the North Atlantic, something that has led to different climatic and weather patterns from those we are familiar with. Europe and Northern Eurasia are colder than OTL, while the Sahara and Australia are wetter and more fertile. In addition, this planet is in the terminal stages of an Ice Age and the glaciers and pack ice that cover much of the Arctic and Antarctic circles are in the midst of a long, slow retreat.

- Because there was no American continent, the peoples that would become the ancestors of OTL's Native Americans went only as far as what is IOTL Alaska and stopped, being unable to cross to islands further south. The vast majority of these people went west instead of crossing the Bering Land Bridge. They adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle and eventually came to dominate much of northern Eurasia. This caused a ripple effect as various portions of the Indo-Europeans were pushed further west, the Turks went south, and the Finns fled into the OTL Japanese archipelago. The job of settling the American islands went to the Polynesians, who entered the two island chains in two pushes. The northern islands, corresponding to Canada, the United States, and Mexico were settled by sailors from Hawaii, which developed much like OTL. The South American islands were discovered by seafarers from Easter Island, who gradually colonized these lands further east and established technologically advanced civilizations.

- The world of 1943 AD is surprisingly similar in some ways, yet alien in others. Some regions, like Subsaharan Africa (excepting the Arab nation of Ikhwan) are relatively similar. There are plenty of other examples: Norway, Indochina, Indonesia (except for the Phoenician-descended imperial rulers, that is), Hawaii, and New Zealand. Other areas are completely alien: the Hellenic states of a green North Africa, the Etruscans of Rasna in France, and the Japanese speakers that inhabit Southern China. The general push of history is also similar to OTL. The Old World was technologically more advanced and discovered the New World in the last millennium. European states colonized throughout Africa, Asia, and Oceania. And there was a large, world-wide war just several decades past. But, as expected, there are some differences. Lack of interest in the New World for several centuries allowed those less advanced states to build up their infrastructure and raise their level of technology before they felt the full brunt of Europe. This is also a less Eurocentric world: there are powerful nations the world over, among them Ikhwan in Southern Africa and the Saariset of East Asia.

- Europe is tense right now. Perkunisha, a Lithuanian-speaking nation named for the sky god of the ancient Balts, is on the upswing. As the instigators of the World War several decades prior, they lost colonies and prestige when the war ground to a sudden halt as a pandemic ravaged the Earth. To add to the sense of humiliation, a massive slave revolt struck Perkunisha. Workers and the army joined in the revolt and it was only quashed with heavy loss of life. Now, an ultranationalist party with a superman ideology has taken power in Perkunisha and intends to conquer the world and enslave all foreigners. A sampler of what may be to come for the rest of the world, the Perkunishans have for years held the territory of Kinukkinuk in the OTL region of Czechoslovakia. Kinukkinuk is inhabited by the descendants of Algonquin speakers from Central Asia and has been ruled under an iron fist that includes enslavement, widespread atrocities, and conscription into slave armies. The other great power of Europe is Blodland. The descendants of half a dozen waves of Germanics, Celts, Balts, Etruscans, Semites, and Scandinavians turned the formerly sleepy British Isles into the center of the world's foremost empire. Speaking a language that is a creole of the invading groups, Blodland was named for the blood that was spilled in its many conquests. It is a federation of six different kingdoms: Iceland, Ireland, Norland (Scotland), Blodland, Grettirsland (Normandy), and south Scandinavia, all of which speaking Ingwinetalu. Though by no means a democracy, the parliament of Blodland, the Witenayemot in Bammu, has some check on the authority of the ruling Blothaxe Dynasty. Blodland is a sworn enemy of Perkunisha, partly because of the Blodlandish capture of Perkunishan colonial territories in the World War.

- To the south are the decaying states of Rasna, New Crete, and Aikhaivia. Rasna, an Etruscan-speaking state where France is IOTL has never been able to build itself up with nearly-constant invasions from enemies on all sides. Though it has a large population, it has been forced to focus inwards and has not realized its full potential. Akhaivia, a Greek-speaking state located in the Appenine Peninsula, was once the center of a large cultural sphere. Under Kassandras the Great, the Akhaivians conquered much of the Mediterranean Basin, but after the collapse of Kassandran Empire, Akhaivian influence has declined into cultural influence. Still, Hellenic nations exist deep into Africa and on islands around the Mediterranean. Akhaivia itself remains the premier Hellenic state, yet probably does not deserve that honor, as it is extremely corrupt and poorly-managed. To Akhaivia's east is Doria, another Hellenic state, but one that is much more robust. A secret pact between the Dorians and Perkunishans includes plans to divide Akhaivia between the two. The other once-powerful state of Southern Europe is New Crete. Crete was the urheimat of the Semitic people ITTL, and several large waves sailed to the west. The Iberian Peninsula was settled by such people who named the region New Crete. Like the Akhaivians one, the New Cretan heyday sits far in the past. While states from East Asia to the African interior speak tongues based off that of New Crete. New Crete itself currently holds islands in Indonesia in its empire and has influence among the Germanic tribal state in Britanny, but lost the Yammik Islands (OTL Philippines) to rebellion and territories in the British Isles to Blodlandish conquest centuries ago.

- The most dynamic states of Europe are further east. The Iroqouian-speaking state of Hotonisonih was established when seven tribes from Central Asia invaded the Indo-European states of Eastern Europe and established a semi-democratic confederacy and established a capital on the site of a former Trojan colony and named it 'Estokwa (at the site of OTL Odessa) Hotonisonih has expanded to include sixteen more tribes, each of which contributes financially to the common defense. Hotonisonih society is perhaps the most socially progressive in the world: there is religious tolerance (though the state church receives preferential treatment), while women enjoy rights fairly similar to those of men, and there is an elected executive. While it has almost no overseas presence, Hotonisonih is a strong continental power and frequently at odds with its arch-enemy, Perkunisha. North of Hotonisonih is Itskapintik, which is almost its exact opposite. Where Hotonisonih is progressive and adheres to an ideology of freedom (at least in theory), Itskapintik is reactionary and stuck in the old ways. It was founded by tribesmen speaking something like Nahuatl that came out of Asia around the same time as the Iroquois when the ancestors of the Mahapjigan Horde were on the rise. The Itskapintik had a bloody start, massacring a native people before marrying into the survivors and carving out a theocracy that practiced human sacrifice until just half a century ago. Even if sacrifice is outlawed, slaves in Itskapintik are still treated as subhuman and it is not infrequent to find a slave on a back road with their heart ripped out. North of the Itskapintik are their cousins, the Amanallicayotl, and on the border with the glaciers of the north is the semi-Mixtec speaking Vetiloyan. On the Pannonian Plain is the Siouian state of Dakota that constantly is in fear of Perkunishan invasion.

- North Africa is a jumble of Hellenic, Iberian, and Berber influences. The four major states of the region are, from west to east, Gorivattith, Empire of Lehabia, Great Marmarona , and Gyptos. All four derive significant profits both from the sea and the fertile farmlands of the Saharan Plain. Though currently at peace, the North African nations have a long history of antagonism towards one another and would not hesitate to go to war. Their southern neighbors include the Berber Confederacy, a strip of large, populous, agricultural states as well as the the Nilotic-speaking Empire of Byu.

- The region of Africa surrounding the equator is largely controlled by the colonial states of Europe. Blodland, Perkunisha, and New Crete all have colonies there that are often little more than glorified (or not glorified, depending which empire you are in) slave labor camps. Among the peoples to find themselves under the yoke of European imperialism are the Bantu, Aksumites, and Arab-influenced peoples of the eastern coast. Several large, semi-industrialized empires have managed to keep themselves free, these being the Chadic Kwara on the Niger River, the Yoruba-like Loknil of OTL South Sudan, and the mighty Arab state of Ikhwan in the far south of the continent. The ancestors of Ikhwan were Arab sailors from states on the southern edge of the peninsula who felt the Indo-European states that dominated the Middle East were too autocratic. They sailed further south than the colonies already established by their states and set up a nation of their own. Within several hundred years, the Arabic tongue had caught on among Africans as well as the descendants of the colonists and so was born Ikhwan. A seafaring nation that once had colonies in Dravidia, Ikhwan lost colonies to both Blodland and Perkunisha in the recent past and is intent on reconquering those colonies if the European states appear distracted.

- Much of the northern Eurasian steppe is still dominated by anthropohagi (the people that would have been Native Americans IOTL). While anthropohagi states in eastern Europe and Central Asia are sedentary, industrialized states, the inhabitants of much of Central Asia live a nomadic lifestyle and the people there are grouped into several major hordes. Among the notable hordes are the Nahuatl-speaking Estlani (whose name derives from the same root as Aztlán IOTL) as well as the Algonquin Edhux and Mahapjigan. In an interesting divergence from OTL, the North China Plain is arid in this world and is inhabited by a Mongolian-like people speaking an Athabaskan tongue similar to Navajo and Apache. The OTL Finns ended up in Japan of all places, where they established a state called Saariset (that roughly means "island land") Finding the archipelago by the Finns, the proto-Japanese were diverted and ended up settling in Southern China, where they formed the state of Nitochi. Though it possesses very few territories outside of the Saari Archipelago, Saariset is highly industrialized and has a strong navy and is able to challenge Europe in the Pacific, where they have ambitions of empire. The Japanese of Nitochi are strong, but have been forced to focus defensively because of the presence of the semi-barbaric Huuodanih Host to their north. However, in recent years, with the power of the Emperor in Huuodanih (built on the ruins of the ancient Sino-Tibetian city of Luoyang) declining, both Saariset and Nitochi have moved into the Host and vie for influence in outlying provinces. The other significant power of the far east is Yisiniwak, a Confederacy of Cree-speaking statelets that has actually managed to colonize part of OTL Alaska.

- South Asia is similar to OTL compared to other regions, or at least it was prior to European colonization. The Turks were pushed further south by the anthropohagi and parts of northern India spoke Turkic languages while the south and west had Arab (especially Ikhwani) influences for centuries. Though Blodland has territory along the coast, the Turkic-speaking Hindrazi, Buddhist state of Narangistan, and Marat League control the interior. The Marat League is currently in the midst of a bloody war between traditionalist Hindu polytheists, followers of a reformed form of the religion, and radical Jain-esque nihilists. The states of Indochina are quite similar to OTL, though were better at keeping themselves from the clutches of European empires. OTL Indonesia has significant cultural influence from India and sea-going Arabs and at one point was called East India, though it has recently been conquered by and become a colony of New Crete.

- The term Polynesia can be applied in this world to most of the Pacific, as the Polynesian peoples spread from the South Pacific into the island chains of the New World. Though the various islands of the South Pacific were unable to industrialize and eventually came under Blodlandish dominance, Hawaii and the New World states modernized after contact with Ikhwani explorers and were roughly on par with Europe by the time the Europeans arrived. Though they all speak Polynesian tongues, the inhabitants of what would be North America are vastly dissimilar from those of South America. The north was peopled by sailors from Hawaii, which united as a kingdom just several hundred years ago. Those states are strongly martial and still heavily practice sea-faring. The strongest of these countries is Hivika, which is based on an island that roughly covers the eastern half of Colorado. Their capital, Kualono, is built on a harbor on the eastern side of the island. The Hivikan fleet is strong and has a presence throughout the Atlantic. Their neighbor to the south, A'etmokpuni, is a long-time rival, but has recently fallen into a period of decline and is being eclipsed by the more industrialized Hivikans. Unlike the islands of North America, the island chain that is made of the highlands of the Andean range was settled by migrants from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Though Rapa Nui was conquered by Blodland and its inhabitants carried back as slaves for Hrothgar Blothaxe II, the South American islands have remained fiercely independent. The most powerful of these states is Kaiga Moai Nui, which is named for the faces (moai) carved into the mountains that cover most of the island.

- This is a much darker and more violent world than OTL. Slavery is still practiced throughout much of the world and Hotonisonih is considered progressive in that it always slaves to become freemen. In other countries, slaves are treated as subhumans. Itskapintik was the last country to outlaw human sacrifice, and this occurred just fifty years ago. Nothing like the Geneva Convention was ever signed: there is no standardized treatment of prisoners and fighting is often to the death. Chemical and biological weapons are still very much in fashion, and all nations have been eagerly pursuing more potent forms of such weapons since the end of the last war. Other states like Kaig'Honu, Veki Henua, and Kaigaku-kiko also exist nearby and all practice moai-building on a scale unimaginable to their ancestors on Rapa Nui. Though the Arabs hold imperialistic dreams over much of the world, their influence is strong on the South American islands and the governments there are quick to combat any Ikhwani schemes.

- This Earth is less religiously homogeneous than OTL. Notably, the Hebrews never seemed to come into existence ITTL, so monotheism did not see much of a following until 1023 AD, when Hemilk, a Gael in New Cretan Ireland began to preach a reformed version of the Semitic religion. Hemilk was hanged from a tree with a rope with nine knots and after his death, the religion flourished. Hemilkism spread outside the New Cretan sphere and was adopted by most of the states Western Europe. An archaic form of Phoenician is used as the liturgical language of Hemilkism and holy texts are kept in that tongue in the state churches throughout Europe. Hemilkism also has a significant following in much of Northern Africa. Elsewhere in the world, old forms of polytheism are practiced. In many places, the old faiths have been transformed into codified, written religions, but this is clearly a polytheistic world. Crossing a national border is fairly synonymous ITTL with crossing a religious border.

- Without a New World, horses, camels, tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, turkeys, rubber, and chocolate do not exist. In this universe, cavalry never were used and though transportation by cart exists, these carts are pulled by bovines including the still extant aurochs.